YOU are never too old to learn a new skill and Adult Learners' Week is giving people across the county the chance to add another string to their bow.

A variety of taster sessions and information on new courses will be available between from Monday, May 21 to Friday, May 25, with free DVDs and books also on offer.

Unit manager of the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Skills for Life Unit Joanne Smith said: "Adult Learners' Week is a fantastic opportunity for people to take part in some fun activities and to think about getting their skills up to date.

"We want people to enjoy learning and perhaps even think about improving their maths and English or other skills they haven't thought about since leaving school.

"Colleges and training providers are taking part all over Dorset, opening their doors to make it easy and enjoyable to see what's on offer.

"There's some great one-day tasters and we would especially like to talk to employers about what they can do to help their staff to improve their reading, writing and maths skills."

For Adult Learners' Week the Skills for Life Unit, based at Kingston Maurward, is making a special offer for anyone interested in improving their maths and English can take a National Certificate for free.

The first 30 callers to contact the unit on 01305 215009 will receive a free copy of a 'quick read' book.

The first employer to get in touch about helping staff with maths and English will also receive a signed copy of bestselling author Minette Walker's Acid Row.

The Skills for Life Unit will also be giving away interactive quiz DVDs, based on popular TV comedies, to community groups interested in helping their contacts with maths and English.

As part of the week's events the Learning Bus will be coming to the Granby and Lynch Lane Industrial Estates on the Thursday for workers to come along and find out more about adult learning.

The bus offers ideas to help improve your skills, a free skills check, information and advice as well as competitions and prizes.

The Learning Bus will be outside the Echo offices and the Thomson Engineering Centre on the Granby Estate in the morning and outside Paragon Training at Lynch Lane in from 3pm.

The Workers' Educational Association is hosting a number of sessions throughout the week looking at different aspects of Wessex and the West Country. The focus of the sessions include Roman Wessex, Anglo Saxon Wessex, Wessex and the Vikings, and Industrious Wessex. These courses cost £10 per person, for more details contact Liz Merry, 7 Abbey Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7JQ or email lmerry@wea.com Adult Learners Week is a national initiative that seeks to engage and inspire people to pursue adult learning - either to catch up on skills not learnt at school, to learn for or at work, or to learn for fun.

It is the UK's largest learning campaign and the theme for Adult Learners' Week 2007 is older learners.

For more information visit www.adultlearnersweeksw.co.uk